Disclaimer: This translation does not guarantee complete accuracy, please confirm with the original page text.
## The Nature of the Sentiments of the Great Vows
**Yoga Shastra, First Light, Verses 27 to 29**
**27.** By constantly abandoning laughter, greed, fear, and anger, and by speaking after careful consideration, one should strengthen the vow of truthfulness.
**Meaning:** One should speak truthfully, abandoning laughter, greed, fear, and anger, and speaking only after careful consideration. These five sentiments strengthen the vow of truthfulness.
**Explanation:** A person may speak falsely when laughing and joking with others, when driven by greed and desiring wealth, when fearing for their life or reputation, or when agitated by anger. These four sentiments, laughter, etc., must be abandoned. The fifth sentiment is to speak thoughtfully and with right knowledge, rather than blindly and carelessly. Attachment is the cause of false speech, as is well known in the world. As it is said, "Speech uttered out of passion, hatred, or delusion is false."
**Now we describe the five sentiments of the third great vow.**
**28.** To request a place to stay after careful consideration, to request it repeatedly from the owner, and to accept only as much space as is needed.
**29.** To request a place to stay from a fellow practitioner of the same religion, to consume food and water only with permission, and to cultivate the sentiment of non-stealing.
**Meaning:** Before staying in any place, a monk or nun should carefully consider the place and its owner, and request permission to stay there. There are five types of places to stay: the abode of Indra, the abode of a Chakravarti, the abode of a king, the abode of a householder, and the abode of a fellow practitioner of the same religion. The abode of Indra is understood as follows: Just as the sovereign Indra is considered the lord of the southern half of the world, and the sovereign Shakenndra is considered the lord of the northern half of the world, so too, in the case of a place where there is no owner in the common understanding, the owner of that place is considered to be Indra, according to the aforementioned principle. The territory of a Chakravarti or a common king, such as Bharat, is considered their abode. The owner of a house is considered the householder of that house. Their abode is called the householder's abode. In the scholarly definition, this is also called "Shayyatar" (the owner of a dwelling or house). If monks or nuns are already staying in a place or house, and the householders have given them space, then that is considered the abode of a fellow practitioner of the same religion. A newly arriving monk or nun should request permission to stay from them. In this way, one should request permission to stay in a place, knowing each type of abode and following the proper procedure.
**(1)** If one does not request permission from the owner, it can lead to conflict, unnecessary fighting, quarrels, and other worldly troubles. Using a place without permission leads to the bondage of sinful karma. One will also suffer in the afterlife. This is the first sentiment.
**(2)** One should repeatedly request permission from the owner for the place that has been granted once. It is possible that the householder may object to the monk or nun using the place for other purposes, such as caring for a sick, weak, or bound monk or nun, or for washing their hands and feet or disposing of their waste. Therefore, one should clearly explain the situation to the householder and request permission to use the space for these purposes, so that the giver of the abode is not troubled and remains happy. This is the second sentiment.
**(3)** The third sentiment is that the monk or nun should consider how much space they need for their meditation, study, and meals. They should not need more than that, and should request and arrange for only that much space. By accepting only that much space and performing their activities of contemplation, study, and meals within it, they will not trouble the giver. Otherwise, the giver may have little space left for their own use, which could cause them trouble.